Press

ABSTRACT

A fluid piston actuated press is provided with a lever arm and a bearing means for transmitting and amplifying the force exerted by the piston to the movable parts of the press and the work piece.

United States Patent McCabe Sept. 12, 1972 [54] PRESS 2,241,794 5/1941Stull ..100/270 72 Invemor: Francis J. Mccabe Regency woods 3,230,812l/1966 Puccl et a1. ..l00/266 UK .1 poylestown, p 3901 1,488,562 4/1924Spauldmg ..83/627 Filed: Aug. 31, 1970 Appl. No.: 68,406

US. Cl. ..83/627, 100/266, 100/271 Int. Cl. ..B26d 5/08, B30b 1/08 Fieldof Search ..100/266, 270, 271; 83/627 References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,038,934 9/1912 Mode ..100/270UX Primary Examiner-Andrew R.Juhasz Assistant Examiner-Leon Gilden Attomey-Frank J. BenasuttiABSTRACT A fluid piston actuated press is provided with a lever arm anda bearing means for transmitting and amplifying the force exerted by thepiston to the movable parts of the press and the work piece.

10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PRESS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARYOF THE INVENTION I have invented a new means for transmitting pneumaticpower from a pneumatic piston and cylinder to theoperating parts of apress. My invention comprises a lever means interconnecting a bearingthrust means and the pneumatic actuating means in a press; the bearingthrust means operating directly against the movable press member toclose the member in response to pneumatically generated force on thelever means.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective means foramplifying the power and thrust capacity of a pneumatic press.

This and other objects of my invention will become apparent from thefollowing description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevation of apneumatic press in accordance with the preferred embodiment of myinvention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken as indicated by the lines and arrows 2-2 inFIG. 1, showing a portion of the apparatus partially broken away, and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2with alternate positions shown in phantom.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Although specific forms of theinvention have been selected for illustration in the drawings, and thefollowing description is drawn in specific terms for the purpose ofdescribing these forms of the invention, this description is notintended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined in theappended claims.

Referring to the figures, FIGS. 1 and 2 show the frame 10 of a presshaving mounted therein a base portion 12 and a movable upper portion 14.The guide means 16, 18 are shown for illustrative purposes together withspring means 20. These cooperate in guiding the movable member 14 towardthe fixed base member 12 and in retnming the movable member to itsoriginal position. Between the fixed and movable members a punch and dieset designated generally 22 is mounted. These parts are all illustratedschematically and are not described in further detail herein since theyare well known in the art and form no part of this invenportion of theframe 10 as at 26 by any suitable means such as a shaft fixedly attachedthereto and passing through the flanges 28 and 30 which are fixed to theframe 10. Pneumatic lines 32 and 34 are shown attached to each end ofthe cylinder 24 to illustrate the well known means of supplying air tothe cylinder to actuate the piston therein. Connected to the piston (notshown) within the cylinder and extending therefrom is a piston rod 36.The rod terminates in a yoke which is pivotally connected to the ear 40by the shaft 42 passing therethrough. The piston and cylinder and pistonrod arrangement forming the pneumatic means are well known in the artand upon appropriate air input function to drive the piston rod andextend or retract it with respect to the cylinder.

The lever and bearing thrust means connected to the piston rod andacting against the movable member 14 to amplify the actuating power ofthe piston, comprises a lever arm 44 having the ear 40 connected to oneend and being pivotally connected at the other end to the frame 10 bythe shaft 46 passing through the hollow cylindrical bearing 48 which isfixedly connected to the lever arm 44 as by means of welding. The shaft46 is fixedly mounted in the frame 10 and spacer sleeves 50 and 52 areprovided about the shaft 46 between the sides of the frame 10 and thehollow cylindrical bearing 48 to maintain the bearing in position on theshaft. The inner cylindrical surface of the bearing 48 bears against theexternal surface of the shaft 46 to provide a pivotal hearing.

A bearing member 56 is fixedly connected to the lever arm 44 as by meansof welding. It is preferably connected beneath and intermediate the endsof the lever arm 44, closer to the axis of the shaft 46 than to the axisof the shaft 42. This bearing member comprises a cylindrical rod havingits axis parallel to the axis of the shaft 46.

A complimentary thrust bearing member designated 57 engages the bearingmember 56 and comprises a cradle 58 having a concave surface formed by aportion of a hollow cylinder in preferably close bearing engagement withthe cylindrical surface of the rod (bearing member) 56. This cradle iswelded to a block 60 having a flat surface 62 lying in a plane parallelto the axis of the rod 56. The thrust bearing member which includes thecradle and the block is free floating between the bearing member 56 andthe upper surface 64 of the movable member 14 and can slide on saidupper surface. Since the normal force exerted between the surface 62 andthe upper surface 64 of the movable member 14 will be great during theoperation of the press, a lubricating means is provided comprising astandard lubrication fitting 66 mounted in the block 60 andcommunicating by means of lubrication passages 68 with the flat surfaces62 and 64.

The operative positions of the apparatus are shown in FIG. 3 wherein aportion of the apparatus is shown in full lines in the raised positionof the press. Upon actuation of the pneumatic means, the piston rod 36will be extended from the cylinder 24 and will cause the lever arm 44 topivot about the shafi 46 from the position shown in full lines in FIG. 3to the position shown in phantom. This will cause the bearing member 56to move from the position shown in full lines in FIG. 3 to the positionshown in phantom as its axis swings on a circular are about the axis ofthe shaft 46. The cylindrical surface of the rod 56 bearing against itscomplimentary surface in the cradle 58 will cause the thrust bearingmember 57 to move downwardly and to the right as viewed in FIG. 3. Theblock 60 will slide along the surface 64 in driving the movable portion14 downwardly from the position shown in full lines to the positionshown in phantom.

To raise the upper portion 14, the pneumatic impulses are reversed andthe piston rod is retracted thereby pivoting the lever arm 44 upwardlyand relieving the pressure on the upper portion 14 of the press. Thespring means will then return it to its original position. Since theforce of the springs is always bearing against the portion 14 and tryingto return it to its original position, the thrust bearing means 57 willbe forced against the rod 56 and will thereby be returned to itsoriginal position.

The apparatus described is capable of greatly amplifying the forcecapacity of the press in a pneumatic press and the amplification can bevaried depending on the distance between respective axes as will readilybe understood by one skilled in the art by reference to the abovedescription. Likewise the bearing forces can be adjusted by changing thedimensions of the bearings.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials andarrangement of parts which have been herein described and illustrated inorder to explain the nature of this invention, may be made by thoseskilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention asexpressed in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a press having a fixed portion and a movable portion for movementtoward said fixed portion, and actuating means for transmitting force tosaid movable portion and moving it as aforesaid, an improved forceamplification means comprising:

a. lever means connected to said actuating means for pivotal movement inresponse thereto;

b. bearing means connected to said lever means for movement therewith,said bearing means comprising member having a bearing surface thereon;and

c. bearing thrust means engaging said bearing surface and coactingtherewith for movement and force transmission in response to movement ofsaid bearing surface, said bearing thrust means being in sliding bearingcontact with said movable portion to transmit force to said movableportion through said lever means and bearing means in response tomovement of said actuating means.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said bearing thrust means is freefloating between the bearing means and the movable portion.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said bearing surface is arcuate andsaid bearing thrust means comprises a cradle portion having acomplimentally configured surface in relatively rotatable bearingengagement with said arcuate surface.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said bearing thrust means comprisesa flat portion in sliding engagement with said movable portion of saidpress.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said lever means comprises a leverpivoted at one end to said actuating means and pivotally connected atthe other end to a fixed portion of said press, and said flat surface isparalacetates ssssa rishsissas atssgmeans comprises a cylindrical body.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said lever means comprises a leverpivoted at one end to said actuating means and pivotally connected atthe other end to a fixed portion of said press, and the axis of saidcylindrical body is parallel to the axis of said last mentioned pivotalconnection.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said cylindrical body is closer tosaid last mentioned pivotal connection than to the pivotal connectionwith said actuating means.

9. The invention of claim 1 wherein said actuating means comprises apneumatic piston and cylinder, said cylinder being pivotally connectedto a fixed portion of said press and said piston being connected to arod extending from the free end of said cylinder, said rod having itsfree end pivotally connected to said lever means.

10. The invention of claim 9 wherein said lever means comprises a leverpivotally connected at its free end to said rod and pivotally connectedat its other end to a fixed portion of said press, and said bearingmeans is connected to said lever intermediate the ends thereof.

1. In a press having a fixed portion and a movable portion for movementtoward said fixed portion, and actuating means for transmitting force tosaid movable portion and moving it as aforesaid, an improved forceamplification means comprising: a. lever means connected to saidactuating means for pivotal movement in response thereto; b. bearingmeans connected to said lever means for movement therewith, said bearingmeans comprising member having a bearing surface thereon; and c. bearingthrust means engaging said bearing surface and coacting therewith formovement and force transmission in response to movement of said bearingsurface, said bearing thrust means being in sliding bearing contact withsaid movable portion to transmit force to said movable portion throughsaid lever means and bearing means in response to movement of saidactuating means.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said bearing thrustmeans is free floating between the bearing means and the movableportion.
 3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said bearing surface isarcuate and said bearing thrust means comprises a cradle portion havinga complimentally configured surface in relatively rotatable bearingengagement with said arcuate surface.
 4. The invention of claim 3wherein said bearing thrust means comprises a flat portion in slidingengagement with said movable portion of said press.
 5. The invention ofclaim 4 wherein said lever means comprises a lever pivoted at one end tosaid actuating means and pivotally connected at the other end to a fixedportion of said press, and said flat surface is parallel to the axis ofsaid last mentioned pivotal connection.
 6. The invention of claim 1wherein said bearing means comprises a cylindrical body.
 7. Theinvention of claim 6 wherein said lever means comprises a lever pivotedat one end to said actuating means and pivotally connected at the otherend to a fixed portion of said press, and the axis of said cylindricalbody is parallel to the axis of said last mentioned pivotal connection.8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said cylindrical body is closer tosaid last mentioned pivotal connection than to the pivotal connectionwith said actuating means.
 9. The invention of claim 1 wherein saidactuating means comprises a pneumatic piston and cylinder, said cylinderbeing pivotally connected to a fixed portion of said press and saidpiston being connected to a rod extending from the free end of saidcylinder, said rod having its free end pivotally connected to said levermeans.
 10. The invention of claim 9 wherein said lever means comprises alever pivotally connected at its free end to said rod and pivotallyconnected at its other end to a fixed portion of said press, and saidbearing means is connected to said lever intermediate the ends thereof.